Standing just behind Quinn, the chief constable twitched as if given an electric shock. He tapped Quinn on the arm and whispered something only the two of them could hear.
Quinn’s cheeks coloured but his hate-filled eyes never lost contact with mine.
The questions from the press kept coming but I never once looked the reporters’ way. My blood was boiling and there was only one possible way this could end now.
Striding forward, all sense left far behind me, I raised an accusing finger at Chief Inspector Quinn.
‘You put me in a cell. You put my whole team in cells last night and you did it at the risk of two people’s lives.’
Quinn scoffed, ‘You broke into a house.’
My voice got even louder. ‘I broke into the house of a serial killer you refused to investigate!’
The tone of the reporters’ questions changed. They wanted to know more about my claims.
‘You endangered lives and broke into my office so you could steal the research my team had worked on to catch a man you denied could even exist. We were scrambling to avert a murder and you hampered us at every turn because you couldn’t stand to see me solve the case first.’
‘The apprehension of criminals is the job of the police, Mr Michaels. You insist on breaking the law and jeopardising police investigations with your cowboy attitude and haphazard techniques.’
‘You insist on claiming victory for the battles others have won. You didn’t solve this case, Ian. Remember when I said you would wish you had chosen to do the right thing? Well, this is where that starts. There will be an investigation after tonight, the press will insist upon it. The greatest credit for solving this case and exposing the Sandman goes to Jane Butterworth.’ I pointed to the marquee’s entrance. ‘Take a bow, Jane.’ She waved and looked embarrassed. Turning back to face Quinn again, I chuckled at him. ‘You lack the common decency most humans possess. Why don’t you take this opportunity to thank Jane for her involvement?’
Quinn shuffled his notes and attempted to ignore my suggestion. ‘I think we should get back to the meat of this press conference.’
He was instantly bombarded by questions about the Blue Moon team’s involvement. I waited until someone asked the question I hoped to hear.
‘Who is Jane Butterworth, Chief Inspector?’
I pounced. ‘Yes, Chief Inspector. Who indeed? Will you address her as Jane?’
‘No, I will not!’ he snapped. ‘He is a man in a woman’s dress.’
I nodded my head. ‘Well done, Chief Inspector. You just attacked the entire LGBTQ community live on television. That should put the brakes on your career.’
Quinn forced out a raucous guffaw, tipping his head back to let his laughter fill the air. When it rocked back to level, I punched him in the mouth.
A startled gasp rippled around the open area and everyone stopped moving.
Quinn dropped like a stone.
Standing in my eyeline now was the chief constable. He looked shocked.
I growled, ‘Put your dog back on its leash.’
I was going to jail, that much was for certain now. It wouldn’t matter what I had done in the past or how deserving Quinn was of it; you can’t punch a policeman on television and not face consequences for your actions.
I was okay about it and was happy for the trade. Ian Quinn needed to be punched and I believed punching him was the final guarantor I needed for them to actually launch an enquiry. He’d done almost nothing to solve this case while putting lives at risk with his ambition and I wanted someone to know.
Cops were rushing to get to me, or to get to the chief inspector who hadn’t twitched since I decked him. I didn’t resist when they ordered me to place my hands behind my back.
Amanda fought her way to me, using the fact that she knew all the cops to make them let her through. Though none of them said it, I think most of them wanted to give me a pat on the back for knocking their boss out, and one or two of them gave me a wink when the chief constable wasn’t looking.
‘Oh, Tempest,’ sighed Amanda. ‘What did you do?’
I gave her a lopsided, apologetic grin. ‘What I had to do, babe. Can you look after the dogs for me, please? I guess I’ll be out tomorrow sometime but back in court soon enough.’
She sighed again. ‘They’ll give you a month at least, regardless of the circumstances. You just did that on live TV. Letting you off would send a terrible message.’
I shrugged. ‘I’ll miss you when I am inside. I’ll miss you tonight.’
She leaned in to kiss me. ‘I’ll have the turkey waiting for you.’
Feeling the gaze of the chief constable on them, the officers waiting to take me insisted Amanda step back, and they led me away.
The press conference was a disaster, but only for the police. The press loved it and chased the cops holding me all the way to the squad car they put me in.
In the back of the police car, I allowed myself to relax. It had been a frantic few days filled with worry, adrenalin-fuelled chases, too little sleep, and missed meals. Tonight, I would sleep like a baby, and charged with assault, I would be released in the morning until my court hearing. However far away that proved to be.
As things were, I couldn’t come up with anything much to feel sad about.
The End
The Golem in Block C
I know you are a fan of this series; how could you not be after reading seventeen books? But did you know there is a secret story? It may become available for sale one day but for now it is FREE for you, my
